A 30-feet high carving will welcome people to Darlington.

A huge development at the north west corner of the town will include a 30-ft chalk carving on a cliff visible to passing motorists, the D&S Times can reveal.

The land carving is one of a number of pieces if art being commissioned by Bussey and Armstrong for the firm's West Park development at Faverdale.

The development, which will see the creation of 700 homes, a new mental health hospital, rugby club, leisure and health care, parks and a community hall, will include artwork to depict Darlington and the wildlife of the site.

Houses and street names will also carry the theme as will the fabric of the hospital, sports and community buildings.

The idea was the brainchild of Tony Cooper, director of Bussey and Armstrong Projects.

Born and raised in the Cockerton area of the town, he has been the driving force behind the showpiece scheme.

A two-year partnership with Northern Arts and poet Bill Herbert has created an arts strategy and poetry plan. Under the title Caring, Sharing, Daring, the plan details proposals for the public art to be commissioned.

These include a series of poems and texts focusing on the site's industrial past, its present wildlife and the history and qualities of Darlington. They will be carved, sculpted and built into numerous integrated features across the development.

Three 8-ft obelisks using stone from the former Catcastle quarry near Lartington and weighing 30 tonnes each, will sit on each of the three hills surrounding the site. A railway line once linked the site to the quarry.

But the piece which could put Darlington on the map will be the 30-ft high chalk carving.

Mr Cooper said: "There are a lot of technical points about where it can be put and where it can be seen from, but it will definitely put Darlington on the map.

"The carving will be visible from the A68 as it comes off the A1M. One idea is to carve a large D with a heart inside it to represent that Darlington town wears its heart on its sleeve.

"However, as with a lot of the artwork we want to involve the community and the schools to see what designs they come up.

"Our vision is to see art flow from the park land right through the development. The hospital designers were so inspired by this that they modelled the hospital on the topography of the land and the commissioned artwork.

"This development is a big deal for Darlington. For a start the park will be the first park created in the town for more than 100 years.

"We want to ensure the whole site is special, because it is.